We live in hope

The San people of Namibia, much like their counter parts in southern Africa and the first peoples all over the world, are marginalised. This is not new information to anyone who keeps updated with news. We know they live in poverty, like many boriginals in Australia, Native Americans in the US, Mayans and Incans in South America, and so forth.

The world has certainly changed for the San and their inherent lifestyles are no longer possible. They, like many other first peoples, have fallen into alcoholism, in particular because they were not traditional brewers of liquor. The San were notoriously quick to fall victim to alcohol addiction in the past, as still today in some quarters, this reliance is abused, with many rural employers paying them with alcohol.

The San seem to be suspended in time, with one foot in the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and another firmly entrenched in the 'evils' of modern society.

All of this bodes ills for their future as a people.

We somehow cannot seem to get it right with the San in Namibia. The last successes were recorded with the former deputy prime minister, Dr Libertina Amathila, who had a fierce passion for this group of people.

Much was done for them and when they sold gifted livestock or implements, she berated them and kept a watchful eye because she had a real passion for the work she was doing with them.

But this seems to have fallen by the wayside.

The project was handed over to the vice-president's office, and from there, it has become non-entity.

It is hoped that with the appointment of Nangolo Mbumba as Dr Nickey Iyambo's replacement, this project can be revived and given the impetus it so critically needs.

On the other side of the coin, the San need to come to the party and find a way of adjusting to the way the world works now.

There needs to be a firm focus on education and a strong cultural family life, if they want to survive as a people.

This, they can only do for themselves. For the moment, we live in hope.